Natalia and I spent a weekend in Vienna, and while it was our first trip to Austria we really fell in love with the city. Beautiful architecture, so many things to see and do and it also felt really safe walking around the city.And since we’re food bloggers, and love food, we, of course, wanted to try everything possible during our weekend spent in Vienna! So here’s a list of our food finds that we believe you also must try when you visit Vienna:
TRAVEL MONEY CARD
To make life easier, we ordered a prepaid Travel Money Card from the Post Office to be able to pay in shops, restaurants, and bars during our trip to Vienna. Forget about carrying large amounts of money with you when traveling, just load your Travel Money Card with any amount that you want (£50-5000).
There are 13 currencies to choose from, and you will receive your card in as little as 4-6 days. Our Travel Money Card saved us a lot of time and money as we did not have to look for currency exchange points to exchange ££’s to €€’s, we were also told that most currency exchange shops charged €10 service fee. Some shops and restaurants in Vienna did not accept cards, but we could easily withdraw some cash from any cash point we found in the city.
The Post Office City Costs Barometer report went live this weekend with lots of interesting information on which European cities are the cheapest to visit. To find out more about how much does it cost to eat and drink in Vienna, and to take a look at the very insightful Post Office City Costs Barometer, follow this link.
WIENER SCHNITZEL
You might have heard of or tried Schnitzel in Germany before, but Viennese schnitzel is a bit different. Traditionally in Vienna schnitzel is made from veal, but you will be able to choose from different meat cutlets such as pork, chicken or turkey. When you order schnitzel in Vienna, make sure that you order the famous potato salad with it – this potato salad is extraordinary and definitely one of my favorite foods that I’ve had during my trip to Vienna.
Schnitzel is very popular in Vienna so you can find it in many places. However, some restaurants, especially in the city center, can be overpriced. I would recommend going to Schnitzelwirt restaurant, but keep in mind that this restaurant only accepts cash. We had to withdraw cash from a cash point using our Travel Money card before going to the restaurant. For 1 portion of turkey Schnitzel and potato salad we paid €11.60.
TRZESNIEWSKI SANDWICHES
Unspeakably good open sandwiches made with fresh ingredients. The sandwiches are made with local fresh bread that is cut into rectangles, then topped with different toppings. The restaurant opened in 1902 shortly after WWII. In the restaurant, you will be able to choose from 23 different toppings, and each is sold for €1.40. Vegan options are available.
LEBERKASE SANDWICH
When visiting Vienna you don’t want to miss this Viennese specialty. Leberkäse translates into meatloaf, it’s made with pork and served in Austrian Semmel bread buns. Go for classic Leberkäse with a Semmel bun, and you could also add different toppings on your meat such as cheese, mustard sauce, pickles or even chilli.
I suggest that you get this sandwich from Leberkas Pepi, a little cosy restaurant that is very close to Vienna State Opera. Apparently it’s a chain so you will also be able to find more branches in Vienna. The sandwiches are also very cheap, we paid €3.15 for a classic Leberkäse with a Semmel bun. This restaurant does not accept cards, so we had to withdraw some cash from an ATM machine using our Travel Money Card.
WURSTELS SAUSAGES
You will find many sausage stands all over Vienna with lots of hungry customers queuing to buy Würstels sausages either plain or with cheese. The sausages come in big bread buns, and the vendors will ask you whether you prefer the sweet kremser mustard or spicy estragon. We paid €4.10 for a sausage sandwich in cash.
ROASTED CHESNUTS
Especially during the cold weather, you will love the roasted chestnuts that are sold in little stands in the street. The chestnuts are very big and delicious. We bought 10 chestnuts for €2.50 and had to pay in cash.
SACHER TORTE
A trip to Vienna wouldn’t be complete without trying a slice of this indulgent cake. Sacher torte is one of Viennese cuisine specialities. This cake that was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. Apparently, the recipe remains a secret and for the original Sacher torte you will have to visit Hotel Sacher.
If you love chocolate, then you will love this cake as it consists of two layers of dense chocolate cake, with two thin layers of apricot jam. topped with high-quality milk chocolate icing. The cake is traditionally served with whipped cream, and the Austrian coffee with milk “Wiener Melange”. A slice of Sacher Torte at Sacher hotel costs €7.10, cards are accepted.
TOPFENSTRUDEL
This was probably my favourite dessert in Vienna. It’s basically baked cheesecake wrapped in crispy paper-thin strudel pastry, served warm with vanilla sauce! We had this in Sacher hotel. This cheesecake is traditionally served with vanilla sauce, but in Sacher hotel, they serve it with vanilla ice cream instead.
APFELSTRUDEL
Austrian apple strudel is one of the country’s favourite desserts. The dough is stretched thinly, then filled with butter sugar breadcrumbs and apples. It is then rolled, and baked in the oven. You can have apple strudel in many cafes in Vienna as it’s a very popular dessert. We had apple strudel in Cafe Central and it was served warm with vanilla sauce. A slice of apple strudel costs €7.30 at Cafe Central, cards are accepted.
ANNA’S TORTE
Named after Anna Demel, Anna’s torte is a special chocolate cake that you can have at Demel Cafe. This cake is very chocolatey, as it’s made with three layers of chocolate sponge cake and a very rich chocolate buttercream. Between these layers, there’s orange liqueur.
To cover the cake, a thin nougat layer is cooled on a cold marble slab then arranged for decoration over the cake in the shape of waves. A slice of Anna’s torte at Demel costs €5.50, cards are accepted. The cafe is very busy, you can either make a reservation beforehand or just stand in the queue for 10-20 minutes.
WINTERKUSS CAKE
Puff pastry with plum and cinnamon mousse, the flavours of this cake are unbelievable! You can have this cake at the famous traditional Cafe Central that first opened in 1876, and was a popular meeting point for people like Sigmund Freud, Arthur Schnitzler, Peter Alternberg and Leo Trotzki.
Cafe Central is one of Vienna’s oldest coffee houses and as many people wish to visit this cafe, you might have to wait in a long queue when you visit. We were lucky as we did not need to wait but be prepared for a 10-30 minute wait. A slice of Winterkuss cake at Cafe Central costs €4.60, cards are accepted.
WIENER MELANGE
This Viennese coffee is a specialty coffee drink that is similar to cappuccino. It’s basically one espresso shot served in a big cup with steamed milk and foam. You can have Wiener Melange in any cafe in Vienna. We had Wiener Melange at Demel and paid €5.90 for it.
EINSPANNER COFFEE
This Viennese coffee is made with two shots of espresso and lots of whipped cream. Apparently, this is the official drink of Vienna’s coach drivers, as the coffee can stay warm in their hands when it’s topped with a thick layer of cold whipped cream that works as an insulation and keeps the coffee warm! You can have this coffee at any cafe in Vienna. We had Einspanner coffee at Cafe Central and paid €5.30 for it.
WEIHNACHTSPUNSCH
A warming drink that is usually served at Christmas time.it’s usually made with orange and lemon peel and lots of spices to keep you warm. We managed to find this warming Punch in Naschmarkt, and if you want a non-alcoholic version of this just ask for Kinderpunsch (literally kids punch). We paid €2.50 for an alcoholic version.
BRETZEL
Pretzel-like baked bread, the dough is shaped into a twisted knot and baked. This bread can be found in any bakery, and often made into sandwiches in cafes and supermarkets. We paid €1.50 for 1 bretzel at Naschmarkt.
MOHNZELTEN & NUSSZELTEN
Traditional snack cakes made with soft potato dough, filled with either poppyseed paste or nuts. Natalia and I really loved these cakes and had them for breakfast every morning. These can be found in any market. We paid €5 for 2 cakes at Naschmarkt.
MANNER WAFERS
These hazelnut crunch wafers are made in Vienna. These are literally sold in every shop, and there’s even a dedicated shop to Manner Wafers in Stefaplatz. We paid €1.40 for one Manner Wafer.